


The Tudors, Season 1, Episode 9, Look to God First

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s01e09 Look to God First, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 01, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 11:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24848710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and the rest of the series. Complete.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	The Tudors, Season 1, Episode 9, Look to God First

Open to Boleyn entering the court with his hair oddly styled.

This is a criticism towards wardrobe and the styling department, not the actor. I just don’t think the way his hair is styled would have been possible during the Tudor-era.

Wolsey does some exposition, and a witness is called. The witness’s father was a steward to Henry’s father, and thus, the witness was a part of the group who escorted Arthur to the marital bed. Neither Henry nor I find him amusing, but most of the court does. His testimony comes down to the fact Arthur bragged about his wedding night.

Getting everyone to shut up, Wolsey announces they likely have the blood stained sheets to collaborate the story.

Next, in a church, Wolsey and Cromwell are waiting for Catherine and her ladies to finish praying. When she does, they have their usual sparing session, and Catherine shows her malice by declaring she greatly desires Wolsey’s downfall. She walks away, and Wolsey starts to go after her, but Cromwell gently blocks him. He correctly declares, “You’ll not get your divorce this way.”

In a bar, people make crude references to witness’s testimony, and then, toast Catherine.

At court, Henry and Anne enter together to greet the Boleyn, George, and Norfolk. After the couple leaves, Norfolk promises Boleyn he’ll help the Boleyn family rise higher once Wolsey is gone.

Later, Anne and Henry eat. Anne mentions her historical motto of ‘The Most Happy’. He assures her Wolsey will get the divorce soon.

At the Brandon house, Charles Brandon wakes up to the creepy sight of Margaret’s darkened form staring out the window. He urges her to come back to bed. She refuses, and he tells her he’s going to court tomorrow. Adding Henry’s been asking about her, she asks her if she’ll come. She reiterates her disgust with Anne.

“What if he commands you to come?”

Walking over, she sits down, and he’s puzzled when she gently strokes his face. “Only a wife to a husband,” she softly answers. “Sleep, now, my sweet Charles.” He does, and she places her hand on his face. “I pray you, sleep.”

Leaning down, she kisses him, and leaving the room, she coughs blood into a handkerchief.

Back in the court, Fisher makes a statement on the absent Catherine’s behalf. He awesomely calls Henry a tyrant. Then, he tells a Biblical story of a man who married his brother’s ex-wife and killed John the Baptist. Declaring he’s willing to lay down his life to protect the sanctity of marriage, he utters his condemnation of adultery.

A bishop angrily tries to get Fisher’s testimony thrown out.

Later, More enters Wolsey’s office. Wolsey gives him a task of trying to obstruct a treaty between the emperor and the French king. He acknowledges More’s principles but insists this is important to Henry. Finishing, he references More’s opinion on pain and spirituality from episode 4.

More quietly leaves.

Sitting at a table, Catherine asks Henry if he has no kind things to say. “To your wife,” she insists. “The mother of your child.”

He responds, if the court doesn’t find in his favour, he’ll denounce the pope as a heretic, and then, marry whom he pleases.

Standing up, Catherine reaches to touch him. Softly, she says, “Sweetheart. By all the angels, I was intact when I came to your bed.”

Losing his temper, he jerks away. Screaming it doesn’t matter if she was a virgin or not, he slams the door as he leaves.

Things go no better with Anne. Yelling at him, she declares she could have spent all this time finding someone to marry and having sons. She characterises this as a woman’s only consolation in life.

I don’t know which would be worse: Her genuinely believing this, or her simply saying so because she knows Henry believes it.

Henry promises her they’ll get married and have sons. Announcing she’s going home, she leaves.

Meanwhile, the gout man receives a letter from the pope. Later, he and Henry meet, and Henry vaguely threatens him and the pope if he’s not given what he wants.

Then, there’s a mythology gag of Henry composing Greensleeves.

At court, he, Charles Brandon, and Anthony are laughing. Charles Brandon eyes a woman, and when Henry disappears somewhere, Anthony teases him about his womanising ways. When he brings up Charles Brandon’s dreams, however, Charles Brandon seriously answers he dreams of spiritual matters before walking away.

I’m not sure why, but his touchiness at Anthony’s comment was genuine.

Henry reappears. Noticing Anthony’s quiet state, he asks what he’s thinking about. Anthony gives an answer about love, and Henry toasts him before walking away. Going over to Boleyn, he whispers he’ll have the verdict tomorrow, and he begs Boleyn to convince Anne to come back to court.

Elsewhere, the gout man declares the court unable to judge such matters. Someone qualified to won't be available until after summer is over. In response, Henry stands up, walks over, places a gentle hand on the gout man’s shoulder, and then, quietly leaves the court.

Making his displeasure known, Wolsey starts to leave, but Charles Brandon stops him. In no mood for what he’s trying to spew, Wolsey points out, if it hadn’t been for him standing up for Charles Brandon, Charles Brandon’s head wouldn’t be still be on his shoulders.

Outside, in the garden, the Spanish ambassador sits down with Catherine. He assures her the emperor is working tirelessly for her cause. He confirms he’s leaving. Eustace will be his replacement. Catherine gives him a brooch to remember her by.

Meanwhile, Wolsey and Cromwell meet outside. Cromwell tactfully says Henry isn’t happy. Deciding to try to appease Henry by handing over more money, Wolsey asks if he can trust Cromwell.

Of course, Cromwell can’t be trusted. He’s Wolsey’s replacement. Both are poor men who managed to make good. Wolsey tried to serve himself, Cromwell tried to serve his religion, and this is ironic considering Wolsey is the clergyman and Cromwell is the layperson. In the end, the thing they most tried to serve was a large part of what was used to bring them down. Wolsey’s falling, and soon, Cromwell will rise. Then, soon enough, he’ll find himself in the same situation Wolsey is in.

The saddest thing is, I think Wolsey knows this, but for whatever reason, he doesn’t tell Cromwell. Maybe, he hopes Cromwell will fall. Maybe, knowing he himself wouldn’t have listened, he believes doing so is pointless. Or maybe, he hopes the young will be able to survive what he wasn’t.

However, for now, Cromwell assures him he can. “I owe you my life.”

Elsewhere, Anne and Henry go horseback riding. He expresses his anger at the pope demanding he explain himself. Anne starts to plant Reformist thoughts into his head.

Reformist arguments were used in Henry’s attempts to displace Catherine and marry Anne, but historically, Reformism was a big deal to Anne. It wasn’t something she was indifferently aware of and introduced to her boyfriend as a way of helping him divorce his wife so that he could marry her.

At the Brandon household, Margaret shows signs of getting worse.

Meanwhile, at Grafton, Henry dramatically opens a book.

Whilst Henry’s beginning to go through a spiritual transformation and Margaret is dying, Charles Brandon is having sex.

There are cuts between the three.

Dreaming, Margaret has a VO reciting a poem.

Charles Brandon is still having sex.

With blood on her nightclothes, Margaret stumbles towards a servant.

Henry reads.

Falling, Margaret tumbles a pail of milk, and her blood mixes with it.

The next day, Henry dismisses some petitioning lords. He talks to Boleyn and Cromwell. They tell him Eustace wants to present his credentials to Catherine, and Henry agrees. The gout man is leaving. Henry orders that he and Wolsey be invited to Grafton house.

Utterly dejected, Charles Brandon wanders in. “Majesty, forgive me.” He waits a long moment before quietly announcing Margaret’s death.

Henry walks over. The platform makes him taller, and Charles Brandon looks as if he’s expecting to be hit at any moment. Henry calmly but angrily declares Charles Brandon never even told Henry she was sick.

He didn’t know. Granted, he probably should have, but he didn’t.

The shove comes when Henry walks past.

There’s a brief moment of Henry standing alone with tears in his eyes.

At Margaret’s funeral, a boy asks his father why Henry isn’t around. The father explains it might cause people to inadvertently commit treason by imagining the death of the king.

Later, Charles Brandon stands in the room Margaret saw in her dreams. She’s inside the coffin she saw. He gently touches her, kisses his fingers and brings them to her lips, and sobbingly chokes out, “Forgive me.”

Elsewhere, More and Wolsey debrief about the assignment. The emperor and the French king are at peace, and they’re both on good terms with the pope. Wolsey quietly declares More has destroyed him.

In the next scene, Wolsey is denied quarters, and the servants mostly ignore him. However, Henry Norris offers Wolsey the use of his room.

Historically, this happened.

Then, Henry causes distress in Charles Brandon, Boleyn, and Anne by showing supposed kindness to Wolsey.

In some ways, this could be argued as karmic. After all, Pace’s mental health was destroyed by Wolsey’s actions. However, Wolsey didn’t intend to rob Pace in such a way. Henry is doing this with full intent.

Reassuring Wolsey, Henry says they’ll talk privately tomorrow.

During the night, Wolsey is talking to some people outside as Henry stares creepily from a window.

The next day, Henry refuses to grant Wolsey an audience.

Elsewhere, Eustace presents his credentials to Catherine. He asks if he should prevent them to Wolsey, too. Catherine barely restrains her glee and amusement when she tells him there’s no need. Bringing up the fact Norfolk, Boleyn, and Suffolk are now closest to the king, she declares them her mortal enemies.

Next, men ride up to the castle. Norfolk and Charles Brandon enter Wolsey’s office to remove him of his position. He’s escorted out. People jeer at him, and someone throws food at him.

Alone, he writes to Cromwell.

In the castle, Cromwell tears the note up. Somehow, the shot looks more powerful in the credits than it does here.

Over in the gardens, Henry and More talk about how Wolsey was found guilty. Henry has suspended the prison sentence and agreed to let Wolsey keep one of the titles and a pension. Henry wants More to be chancellor, and More tries to refuse.

Please, let him refuse. He can’t legally burn people alive without the position.

Henry promises More’s duties as chancellor won’t include anything having to do with the divorce/annulment, and he commands More to always look to God before he looks to Henry. More shakes his hand in acceptance.

Fin.


End file.
